21 February - Podcast

I have never really listened to a Podcast, but I do know what one is. In my Ed Psych class last semester Dr. Cox use to record our class and upload the Podcast of our class for any students that missed the class, but I never listened to one that we did. It was fun learning how to make one; I do not have a phone or a recording device but if I did I would totally do this for my classes. I think that you could use the Podcast to put up announcements, or record anything important that I would want my classes to be able to re-listen to. I really felt like other then the e-mailing drama that we had the rest of the assignment I was able to do without any problems. When you said that you would be pulling off of us a little bit this week I was a little worried, but I was totally able to make a text box and create a link.

I feel that I am learning more in this class then I am in any of my other classes. I love this class. I still am blown away with the fact that I have the ability to link and make pretty links. I also have found that I love making a website. I am totally going to have a class website. There is so much you can do and put up for your students. I worried that it would not be a good idea because some students may not have access to the internet, but I have found that even if they do not have access at home they have it at school or at friends’ homes. It was also nice to have an easy assignment this week, the UEN assignment last week was a great assignment, but I feel like I was able to do this one without stressing. Thank you for teaching me so much.

14 January - UEN

The most obvious way that I would use the UEN website is by using it to know my core curriculum. I have already used this site for that reason for my methods and curriculum class. I have found that out of the three different websites that I use to find my core curriculum I like the layout of UEN’s the most. I like how they put right on the core curriculum page the links for lesson plans and other links to resources that you can use to go along with that section of the core. They have already mapped it out for you. Although, I have already used this website, I did not realize that there were lesson plans on here; I looked at a couple of the lesson plans and there are some good ones that I could modify and use. I found the Death Records lesson plan to be one that I will use in my classroom. The great part about that lesson plan is that you could also use the students’ family death records and connect the history to them personally. I think that it is important to connect history to the students as often as you can.

Pioneer Library is great. There are so many resources that you can link to from there. I did not know about Pioneer Library until we did this assignment and it is definitely something I will be using in the classroom. I love that you can link to EBSCO Host from there; I will be having my students use EBSCO Host. I believe that as a history teacher it is my responsibility to teach my students how to research and write papers. I will use the EBSCO Host link and help my students find sources that are not internet websites. SIRS is another resource that would be great for students because it allows you to let them browse without worrying about them getting onto bad websites; plus the sites on SIRS are research and curriculum based.

I found some great videos on the eMedia page. I am actually using one of the documentary videos I found for an assignment in another class. There were several videos in the Government section that I would most definitely use if I was teaching a Government class. There are several interactive that I would use in my classroom. There are several geography interactive that I would use if I taught geography and even a few that I would use if I did not teach geography but wanted my students to know the areas. Not only are there Geography Quiz interactive but they also have interactive that quiz the students on the country’s capitals, global trends and trade. I also like the Ancient Civilizations section. I would have my students to the one for Rome.

I really loved the Wordle. I have been back several times and have made different wordles’ for different things. If I have a classroom website I will definitely have a wordle on my site. I also like that I could put in different documents from history and see what words from the document stand out. I also really liked the culture grams. I have heard people talk about using them but I have never used them. I really like the culture grams and would have my students to and use culture grams. This is another feature that I will definitely use from the Pioneer library. There are some great website links from UEN that I would have my students use. Think-Read-Write is a website that I would have my students use; I feel that as a history teacher I need to teach my students the importance of writing and how to write good essays and papers. This is a resource that I could use to help me do that.

7 January - Google 2

Making the website has been amazing! I found that I have learned so much by doing this assignment. I still am floored by the fact that I can make links. I have not used any new abilities in making the website but I did not know you could even make the websites. I think Google Sites would be great for my class room. I have observed several classes in my UVU Education Program experience and all three of them had either a class website or a class blog. I know how to use blogger and have had a blog for a couple of years; I always assumed that I would do a class blog because I had no idea how to go about doing a class website. Now I have a few choices. I love that I can divide the website into pages. I love that I can have a page for announcements. I also love that I was able to upload the calendar on to the class website. I just feel like there is so much I could do with a class website; I could even upload any worksheets or reading guides that I hand out so if my students lose their worksheet they can print one off instead of me having to re-give them one.

31 January - Google Part 1

I am already pretty familiar with Google and its different functions, but it was good to review it all. Learning how to do the pretty link was the best part of last times class. I have always wanted to know how to do that and I was most surpriesed at how easy it is. My husband laughed because I came right home and showed him; apparently it is old news to everyone but my. I never really thought about what Google would mean to me as a teacher until I did my observations last semester; both of the classes I observed had class websites through Google. I have found that this would be something I would want to do. I can post daily summaries of the class so if one of my students is absent they can get on there and see what they missed, what was due, what the homework is, etc. I also can put up any worksheets, review sheets, and reading guides that my students may need. That way if a student of mine looses thier paper I can have them print a new one off. Now with my ability to make a pretty link I can create links to current event articles on my classroom website.

Another feature I think would be good for my future classroom is Google Docs. I find that I do not like Google Docs because I hate the formatting and whenever I use it my computer runs slowly. However, I do think that Google Docs is a good way to have my students collaborate on assignments. I can also have my student create presentations on Google Presentations and give them in class. That way they do not need to worry about having their computer or flash drive. The presentation would be on Google Presentations and we can just pull it up in class. My only concern about having a class website or using Google Docs or Presentations is that not every student has access to a computer or the internet. I know that when I was coaching up at Riverton High School we had a team blog that had the rehearsal schedule and reminders, but not all of my students had access to the internet at home.

17 January - 1st Post: Tech Fears and Strengths

This class scares me. On the subject of Technology fears and strengths, my fears completely outweigh my strengths. I have to admit that I am not a technology idiot. I am able to do the basics such as get online, email, upload pictures, blog, and other things like that; but if anything goes wrong with my computer I am the type that falls apart. My husband is one who believes that I need to be self-sufficient when it comes to my computer issues and this causes minor at home issues that end in me crying and saying, "I hate my computer." My biggest fear about this class is that technology is like math; it always works when your instructor is around but never works when you are alone.

My biggest fear about dealing with technology is that when it stops working the way it is supposed to I do not know what to do or where to begin to fix it. I can do a lot of things on the computer until it does not go the way it is supposed to. I get easily frustrated when I am trying to learn how to do things on my computer (my poor husband is usually the innocent by standard in that frustration). I honestly do not know where to begin when my computer freezes or the Internet and wireless router will not work. I believe that using technology is a great and wonderful took if it is working correctly, but it seems that technology never works the way it supposed too. Facebook is an example of this. I do not find the point in it and I do not really know how to work it so I go on living without it. I do have a facebook account I just never get on it. My fear for that situation is that I will be one of those teachers that in twenty years will still be using overhead projectors because I will go without the technology of the time. We all have had those teachers that have something planned but the technology does not work and they just decide to drop that section of the lesson. I do not want that to be me. I think that is my biggest fear when it comes to using technology in my classrooms.

I am teachable though. That would have to be my one technology strength; I did say my fears outweighed my strengths. Like I said before I have a husband who believes that I need to be completely self-sufficient when it comes to dealing with technology. He has the push you out of the boat and you either sink or swim type of mentality. I find this to be frustrating for me because my brain does not seem to be wired in a technology savvy way. But I have found when he sits down with me and is patient I am able to catch on more then I think. The biggest frustration for me would be when I could not log onto blogger because I had to update my cookies. I would get so frustrated and my husband would be like I told you how to do it, now you need to do it yourself. Finally I had him sit down with me and we went over it several times. I am no a lean mean cookie updating machine. I am teachable when it comes to dealing with my technology crisis; I just learn a little slower than most and have to have someone patiently take the time to show me how to fix it.